1 year ago
Spice Village is a must visit. It’s a really fun experience and everything from the cocktails to the customers are treated like VIPs.
Spice Village is really what Tooting is about. Over in SW17, we are known for curries and our rich immigrant population- both of which are what Spice Village is based on. It is a Pakistani restaurant on Upper Tooting run by two brothers. Nasir and Suleman came to the UK in the early 2000’s and after a few years of grafting in Brixton-based restaurants, they opened Spice Village in 2004. Inspired by their mother’s desi-inspired flavours, they created a wonderful and immersive restaurant. From the moment you step into Spice Village you are exported somewhere magical; the decor is luxurious with dark lighting and a beautiful bar. You know you’re in for a really lovely time straight away.
Their cocktail list suits the beautiful bar. It’s extensive, fun and tricky to choose. We went for the Blue Lagoon and the Peach Mojito which was recommended to us by our waiter. The perfect combination of sweet and refreshing, they were also served on smoke which added a little bit of drama to the start of the meal. It was a fantastic start to our meal.
Aside from the drinks, we obviously started with popadoms and pickle tray to keep us going while we decided what to order. There is so much goodness to choose from on the menu we were glad we had some sustenance. We had some help from our waiter to narrow down the options which we were grateful for… We were getting close to ordering one of everything. In the end we ordered the pani puri and the chilli paneer to start. If you’re not familiar pani puri is crispy shallow fried dough balls stuffed with potato and chickpea. It’s then served with spicy tangy water and sweet imli chutney which you add at the last minute and then stick the whole thing in your mouth. Like little shots of spice, they were so tasty and we loved the interactive way of serving them. By adding the tangy liquid elements at the end, the puri stay crisp and crunchy right till the end. The chilli paneer was also incredibly flavoursome and managed the perfect amount of spice to compliment and cut through the richness of the cheese.
On to the mains! We chose the chicken biryani, a lamb balti and the shahi paneer masala. It was fun having a mix of dishes to pick between throughout the meal, so if your mates are up for it we’d recommend getting a few to share. And they were all so good. If we really had to choose, we’d say the lamb was our favourite out of the curry dishes. Though the real star of the show? The garlic naan. Easily the best naan we’ve ever had, it complimented all of the dishes. This one isn’t one to share- get your own so there are no fights about the last bit.
The portion sizes and prices made for fantastic value and we certainly walked away content. But it was the service that really made the night for us. The staff were attentive and ready to help out with any menu questions. If you have an occasion coming up you can’t go wrong with Spice Village – it’s such a special experience.
